The latest travel trend gaining traction online is curated TSA trays filled with fashionable and jet-setter essentials. “TSA tray aesthetic” photos have been creeping up on TikTok and Instagram, highlighting stylish arrangements of travelers’ personalized airport security bins.
The trend is compelling for two main reasons. First — it’s the ultimate flex.
The photos often showcase coveted handbags, streetwear sneaker staples, and tidbits relaying the curator’s unique quirkiness and flair. Items artfully scattered inside the security bins might include sunnies, a fragrance, and a digital camera. A tray might also have a pick from a current reading list, or a novelty piece hinting at the curator’s trip.
More often than not, the snapshot includes a person’s passport and boarding pass to remind you that they catch flights. Sometimes, the organizer will include their laptop or AirPods Max headphones. On the surface, the latter is as if to make their TSA tray more relatable and realistic to the standard traveler while maintaining proximity to the person who puts a $2,500 handbag in a dirty TSA bin.
The chic are the chic, but they need their noise-canceling headphones for the plane ride too.
Many travelers are used to complying with airport security requests for separated liquids, shoes, and electronics. Most are rushing to get their items in and out of the TSA tray as soon as possible. Many aren’t thinking in the moment that their items in the tray resonate with their personal “aesthetic” enough to stop and take a photo.
That said, the second thing that makes TSA tray photos unique is the perceived luxury of time viewers impart on the photo-taker. After seeing the images, it’s natural to wonder when exactly they snapped the stylish snapshot during airport security.
Were they holding up the line? Were the TSA agents yelling at them to hurry up? Are they that unbothered that they created their personalized TSA tray and photographed it anyway?
Did they plan ahead to ensure enough time to get to their gate?
How Do People Pull Off The TSA Tray Aesthetic Photos?
TikToker Chelsea Henriquez posted a tutorial in early July. After going through TSA, the stylish and frequently traveling New Yorker told viewers to gather their belongings and move from the line. She wrote, “IMPORTANT: GET OUT OF THE WAY.” The next step was to decorate the security bin to “your heart’s desire.” She said, “If you have time, set up a few different trays — because why not?”
The last and final step, of course, is to take the photos. In another video, the fashion content creator even got her girlfriends to make their own perfected trays.
The TSA tray trend seems fun regardless of whether you’re a trendsetting fashionista. If clothing’s not your thing, you might consider creating a bin more reflective of your vibe and interests.
However, maybe your vibe and interests are devoid of the trend altogether. Whatever you do, make sure you avoid being flagged by TSA.
